In the team's office at the fifth floor, Gillian shouldered her phone as she eagerly rubbed the blood off her hands with a tissue, still soaking wet, pacing among the desks, back turned to the door. Aldana rummaged one of the lockers at the end of the office when Tanya stormed in and widened her eyes in fear at seeing the blood on Gillian. She saw Aldana's signs and let out a shaky sigh of relief, then hurried over to her desk to start her systems.
Back in DC, Cassidy also paced up and down in his home study, his phone on speaker on the desk. Behind him, the TV plugged to his computer showed a breaking news report from a Boston network. The entrance to the federal building was the star of the night. He wore but his pajamas and his hair was a mess. But he was wide awake, and actually grateful that Gillian had the extravagant idea of calling him at one a.m. to tip him off about what had just happened.
"I'm aware, sir, but you have to keep'im here!" she said, not for the first time.
"There's no way the Director will allow it after this, Gillian. You know it."
"Sir, please! These scumbags are not taunting only him, but the whole Bureau! Pulling him off is a sign of weakness from us!"
There she was, the she-tiger standing for Brockner at all times. "C'mon, Gillian. First you didn't want him on the case. Now you do. What's with your mood shifts? You sure there's no little Brockner on the way?"
Like speaking to a wall. "Sir! He cracked the case alone in two hours! That's why we need'im!"
"I'm sorry, Gillian, but I can't. I'm calling him to DC first thing this morning."
He heard his wife coming down the stairs and turned to the door, readying his it's-okay-hun-go-back-to-sleep smile.
"No! Please! I'll clean Grubber's toilet for a year!"
Tanya accessed the security feeds of the building and saw the camera showing an elevator opening at the fifth floor.
Gillian heard the girl call her, "Reg..."
But she was too engaged to pay attention. They couldn't pull Brock off the case. She wouldn't allow it. Knowing Cassidy's sense of humor, she raised the stake. "Please! I won't wear jeans to the office ever again if you want! But you gotta leave'im on the case!"
Behind her, Tanya's voice lashed. "REG!"
Gillian turned around to glare at the girl and spotted Brock through the inner window, stalking to the team's door. She spun on her heels fast enough to burn the carpet, heat washing over her face just as fast.
She lowered her voice to use those few seconds left. "C'mon! You know he's the best!"
"The best? He just got a woman killed, Gillian!" Cassidy kept his eyes on the door.
His wife stuck her head into the study. Cassidy flashed his smile at the same time Brock walked into the team's office. Miranda Cassidy nodded with a sleepy smile back at her husband. Brock signaled Aldana and gave her the blood-stained piece of paper.
The door to Cassidy's study was still closing when Gillian's voice suddenly turned husky and—he hated to admit it—hot, even on the speaker. "Still the best. And you know I'll only have the best, right, baby?"
Cassidy stared blankly at the closing door, really wishing his wife hadn't heard that. Nor what Gillian said next. "C'mon, baby. Give me forty-eight hours to get rid of this, and I'll show you why he's the best chef in town."
Cassidy snapped out of it and scowled down at his phone. "Forget it. You guys have twenty-four hours. And no more jeans."
"Thanks! Bye!"
"And if you just caused my divorce, the lawyer's bill is on you."
"You got it! Love you!"
He disconnected, letting out a mix of snort and scoff, and turned to the TV.
Gillian glanced at the door. Brock was already gone. She and Tanya turned to scowl at Aldana.
"What the hell...!?"
Aldana shrugged. "He asked me to process the print as evidence." She seemed to remember something and crossed the office back to the lockers. From there, she tossed a duffel at Gillian. "Here. Now go change those clothes, please."
Gillian took her bag and headed out. "Call Riley, have him do Betty's autopsy right away and release her body."
Aldana scowled at her,pointing at the door. "Restroom, Reg. Now."